Holly Kernan

Michael Minor is chief deputy secretary of the Division of Juvenile Justice at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. It’s his job to help shape the future for this department that’s potentially on the budget chopping block. KALW’s Holly Kernan spoke with Minor about what the role of the Division of Juvenile Justice.

Slavery doesn’t often make the headlines, but the practice is alive and well in the 21st century. According to an investigation in the San Francisco Public Press, there are more people enslaved today than at any other time in history. The U.S. State Department says that estimates of those enslaved through human trafficking ranges from 4 million to 27 million people.

PG&E announced it will pay the city of San Bruno $70 million in restitution from pipeline explosion of September 2010, which killed eight people and destroyed dozens of homes. Jim Ruane is the mayor of San Bruno, which has a population of about 40,000 people. KALW's Holly Kernan spoke with Ruane about what the settlement means for the city. 

Miss Representation is a new film about the rapid proliferation of media in the 21st Century and how it affects young boys and girls. The film notes that the reach of media today is unprecedented and more pervasive than ever before – and it may be presenting a very skewed portrayal of what it means to be female. Women are only 16 percent of the protagonists in movies and, Miss Representation argues, girls are encouraged by ads, TV and films to achieve an unrealistic standard of beauty at younger and younger ages. Here are some girls talking about how images are affecting them:

Thousands of students and other protesters converged on the Capitol today to protest cuts to public education. Tuition and fees at the University of California 10 campuses are up 21 percent this year, according to the College Board. Students and faculty say the constant cost increases are pricing out most Californians.